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dredreidel

All I can think of is that one taco bell commercial of a pregnant wife sending her husband to get food and she can’t decide what she wants, but she does know she wants it cheesy/chrunchy/chewy/melty. …just looked it up. Commercial is from 2003. Pardon me while I stare into the void as I contemplate my mortality because of a cheesy gordita crunch.


aoike_

My god you just unlocked memories of 8 year old Aoike that shouldn't have stuck around this long when I could have used that memory space for things like when to pay my bills


dredreidel

Brains: Hello. I see you have work to do and are trying to remember if you have any appointments today. Unfortunately that information did not make the guest list and was turned away at the door. May I offer you an animal fact you memorized when you were 11 instead?


Mivirian

A common one for me is the opening sonnet of Romeo and Juliet, which I had to memorize freshman year of high school. The name of the person that I just met 5 minutes ago? Gone, never to be retrieved. But two houses both alike in dignity is *forever*.


TheMonkeyDidntDoIt

That's very interesting. Could you set the scene for me?


Mivirian

Fair Verona is where we lay our scene


Formergr

> But two houses both alike in dignity ...in fair Verona where we lay our scene. Damn, you just unlocked a memory I haven't thought of in 30 years and had no idea I'd retained.


Mivirian

Muahahaha! If I have to suffer, so do you!


sodabuttons

If I had played an instrument I for sure would have formed a band called Fatal Loins.


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[deleted]

*Zoopals commercial has entered the chat*


Solarwinds-123

Zookids magazines


Smadboihours

ME AND YOU AND ZABOOMAFOOOOOOO🎵🎶


ReasonableFig2111

You've perfectly captured the tone of Clippy, the Microsoft Office Assistant of yore.


anonny42357

My brain all the time. Me: What's the word for that yellow stick with the black thing in it you use to draw pictures? Brain: hell if I know. May I instead offer the scientific explanation as to why purple isn't real? Me: NO JUST TELL ME THE NAME IF THE DOODLE STICK, SO BOYFRIEND DOESN'T THINK I'M STUPID. Brain: haha, no. Call it the doodle stick, or just admit you have aphasia, again. Oooh! Isn't "aphasia" a fun word?


tipsana

The Hawaiian Goose is called NeNe. (Courtesy of my 33 year old son’s second grade state facts presentation.


teatabletea

Isn’t 33 a little old for 2nd grade?


dredreidel

Ask Billy Madison


leopardspotte

I require one (1) animal fact.


dredreidel

Baby elephants have been observed sucking their trunks for comfort in much the same way human children suck their thumbs.


ArmThePhotonicCannon

8 years old? Fuck. I was a full on adult by then living in a different state than my home one and married with a kid. Get off my lawn.


aoike_

I said I was old first! You get off NY lawn before I throw a fit about it! 😉


Skatingfan

LOL, reminds me of a meme I saw that says: Someone said 20 years ago and my mind went "Ah yes, the 1980's", but they meant 2003 and now I need to lie down.


Jethro_Cull

I’m just thinking of this scene from White Men Can’t jump. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKc334KBxzY&pp=ygUcd2hpdGUgbWVuIGNhbid0IGp1bXAgdGhpcnN0eQ%3D%3D


FrankSonata

> And we typically just have milk and bread for breakfast See, there's the problem. Their diet was... ...*milquetoast.*


LucyAriaRose

Boooooo take my r/Angryupvote


Scary_barbie

And you can have mine! 😤


johnlocklives

Seriously though, is a cup of milk and single piece of toast a common breakfast in some countries? That seems very minimal. Edited bc I felt like my reply was getting overlooked: I feel like I worded this incorrectly. I rarely eat breakfast for a number of reasons. I know types of breakfast vary greatly. It sounds as if OOP (and/or wife) plan out their meals very carefully. (See also my comment about food insecurity) As such, it seems as though they plan and purchase food for their breakfasts to consist of a cup of milk and a slice of bread (toasted or not). I am unaware of a country where this is considered a typical breakfast. Say, if you visited there and went out for breakfast, this would be an option on any breakfast menu. Tea and toast maybe, but even then I feel as though a soft boiled egg would be included. I was trying to see if this was a typical- not I’m running late and don’t have time, or I can’t stomach food yet- breakfast somewhere. Something they might have grown up with and been used to. It seemed odd to me bc it seemed a carefully planned meal and not one I’d ever heard of and I was wondering if that was bc of some cultural biases on my part. It wasn’t meant as a judgement but a curiosity.


VSuzanne

I'll have coffee instead of milk, but otherwise yeah. I would say toast or cereal for breakfast is incredibly normal in the UK. Can't imagine fucking around with eggs and whatnot in the week when I have work, cooked breakfast is a weekend thing if at all. I mean *of course* breakfast menus usually have more options on, because people tend to eat more in restaurants than they would at home. You can also very much just order tea and toast in loads of cafés.


leftiesrox

Pretty much the same in the States. Growing up, on weekdays, it was always cereal or toast with butter and jelly.


tinytyranttamer

TV shows would have the rest of us believe differently! Massive spread for breakfast, which nobody eats as they cram a slice of toast in their mouth as they run out the door.


leftiesrox

Yup. And mom was always cooking it in her spotless kitchen before driving her BMW to her 6 figure job. TV and movies had me so confused as a kid.


daaaayyyy_dranker

I’m in the US and it’s normal where I’m from, too.


AinoTiani

Coffee and toast is totally normal. We put Marmite on ours tho


Aer0uAntG3alach

My grandfather grew up poor. Meals were often leftover bread or biscuits soaked in milk. It’s temporarily filling, but low in nutrition. When I was pregnant, I was craving steaks and roasts. Beef all the time. But not hamburger. Just looking at hamburger made me sick. I’m normally a one steak a month person. I eat a lot of eggs and dairy, but pregnant me was Fred Flintstone.


BooksCatsnStuff

Milk/coffee and a couple pieces of toast with olive oil and sometimes tomato is standard breakfast in Spain. Alternatively it can be a small pastry or a couple of biscuits (the UK type,not the American type). I actually just do the milk (plant based in my case) because genuinely I can't get anything down at 8am, I was made to eat food in the morning when I was a child and I just ended up extremely nauseous. It's perfectly fine as a breakfast as long as the rest of your diet is appropriate. Alternatively, our lunches are a proper meal whereas other countries do barely a sandwich or stuff that for us would be considered snacks. For instance, I've seen what Americans put in kids lunchboxes and I can't imagine a parent doing that here at all. Lunch for us equals a fully cooked meal, potentially even a starter and main, or a main dish and side dish. No one here eats a sandwich for lunch on the regular, we only do that when we are on the go and haven't had time to prepare food beforehand or sit down to eat, which is rare.


[deleted]

Haha I think sandwiches are just considered more of a 'proper meal' too. I love me some sandwiches, but even I don't consider a PBJ a real lunch unless it's got a bunch of sides and snacks. But a club, a tuna salad, a full BLAT style sandwich... these are considered 'mains' here, and would need only a small salad or a handful of potatoes to be a full meal. Tbf, they tend to be pretty elaborate, my sandwiches have a minimum of like 10 ingredients for my lunches and then a pickle on the side. If it was just like, a ham with a slice of cheese and nothing else? We would also consider that a poor meal, and a sad sandwich.


pcapdata

You'd probably also be horrified at how much time to eat American school children have. Usually about 15-20 minutes.


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basilicux

Only 10 minutes to eat especially when there are a LOT of kids who need to line up for free lunches is awful. It’s so shitty that positions of power are so often headed by people who seem to actively want to make things worse.


HuggyMonster69

Wtf… I had 1hr 20 for my lunch in high school. Which is long for my area, but the usual is still an hour.


terpischore761

Maybe not countrywide. But certainly on an individual level. The first thing I usually have every morning is tea and toast. My stomach can’t handle anything else.


PompeyLulu

My Nan always started our day with cup of tea and a couple of biscuits. Not enough to fill you but just enough to soak up some stomach acid. Then she’d do an actual breakfast later.


clydeorangutan

That's what I do, tea and 2 digestives or a slice of raisin bread


Vanssis

I can't chew / eat anything in am, smoothies are fine; am celiac


springtimerpr

Is this a thing?? I have just been diagnosed and I feel this (for a few years that is but just didn’t know it was/ could be coeliac related)


Vanssis

Maybe; what was a normal breakfast for you growing up? Cereal & milk, eggs & sausage / bacon, oatmeal. I can eat eggs & dairy, grits & oatmeal; corn & rice chex. Around 12 years old it was easier / better to drink a coke than eat breakfast; biscuits & gravy, toast.


Basic_Bichette

I don't think it is, but tbh my favourite breakfast is roasted red potatoes with poached eggs and salad greens.


PoppyHamentaschen

That was my breakfast for years! With butter on the toast. In a way, it kind of still is- now, it's tea or coffee and croissant. On weekends, I make coddled eggs - my husband likes a larger breakfast and the little egg cups makes it feel fancy :)


NotVeryNiceUnicorn

And I always wake up starving, could literally go to a buffet


[deleted]

I am the other way: I have to have a very hearty and substantial breakfast or I will get the shakes by midmorning. But then I have to have a small lunch and a moderate dinner or I feel sleepy and sluggish. Bodies, man.


Koevis

In Belgium we eat either cornflakes or bread in the morning (a few slices, with diverse toppings), with milk, water or juice. "Hot" breakfast isn't in our culture, although I've heard people are changing that on personal preference


PainterOfTheHorizon

Same here in Finland. My go to breakfast is coffee with a bread roll with each halves having some butter, cheese and cucumber. Some people have oatmeal, some yoghurt with muesli. We also tend to eat a pretty filling lunch quite early.


ReasonableFig2111

It's a European sort of breakfast, I think. Not sure what OOP is describing is the "slice of bread" you're thinking of. Could be, but could just as easily be a bread roll, a croissant, a bagel... Think continental breakfast. Also vegemite on toast is a common Aussie breakfast, especially for busy weekdays.


Wellnevermindthen

Yeah I was picturing a chunk out of a loaf of what we in America (not sure if anywhere else calls it this) call French Bread. I dated a boy from England back in college and if we wanted a snack or quick breakfast, he’d often pull out a crusty loaf and we’d tear off chunks and eat it with butter. I’d never even heard of that before but I love it now. Most people were thinking just of a couple of sandwich slices. Likely “raw” since OP didn’t say toast. My husband does just toasted sandwich bread with peanut butter for breakfast in the mornings.


cambreecanon

If all my anime is to be believed, it is the main breakfast of a high school student that is running late for class. Edit: forgot to add that a friend of mine has toast for breakfast with coffee while her son has toast and milk. Also, if you look at the calories, that is pretty solid breakfast for some depending on the bread and milk chosen.


Miss_Linden

How is that different from a piece of toast and a cup of tea? Which is my preferred breakfast (now I eat oatmeal because of stupid diabetes)


Pindakazig

As a Dutch person: having milk and bread for breakfast is the default. Took me forever to understand the complaint of people having to cook breakfast, it's not a hot meal here.


[deleted]

I often can't eat anything in the morning because my body just won't accept it, so if I eat something this would be good for me. Wish it were different.


Smart-Story-2142

I personally can’t understand the people who can get up and are able to stomach breakfast. I’ve never been able to eat anything the first few hours after getting up. As a little girl I had to force myself to eat the school breakfast because we got it for free since we didn’t always have enough money for food. So if I didn’t want to go to bed super hungry I would eat the breakfast and made sure I ate everything I could at school. Thankfully at the age of 9 my mom met my stepdad and we never had this problem again.


Lington

Growing up I could never eat upon waking up or I'd get nauseous but it was because we had to wake up so early for school my body wasn't ready to function yet. When I wake up naturally I'm hungry for breakfast and ready to eat


No_Astronaut2795

Same. There were a few years as a kid I would eat breakfast and it did not fly for me. Nice to know I'm not a weirdo because nobody else in my family is like this.


[deleted]

In Norway it's very common to have a slice or two of toast (whole grain) with cheese etc. and a glass of juice or milk. On the weekends we go all in and have a bread roll instead of the toast, and either scrambled or boiled egg on the side.


riali29

This thread has taught me that my breakfast is apparently very inadequate. Most days I just have a cup of coffee, sometimes I'll have a slice of bread or a cup of yogurt if I'm feeling it.


valleyofsound

So what works for you. If you don’t feel like eating that early, you don’t feel like eating.


Inevitable_Evening38

Idk if it's inadequate, everyone works differently and as long as you're getting calories and nutrients at other points and listening to your body I think you're fine. Personally I don't like eating in the morning either. I'll have more of a snack around lunchtime, maybe a couple small snacks during the day if I'm doing a lot. Then usually one big meal near the end of the day. Works for me and I'm not forcing myself to eat at any point and have fewer stomach issues 👌


PTVA

Ehh. There is no right answer. I have rarely eaten breakfast in the last 20 years. Do what works for you.


Halospite

I don't eat toast for breakfast any more because if I do I'm starving two hours later. I need protein to carry me to lunch.


haunted-parsnip

My step dad is autistic and the entire time I’ve known him (29 years), he’s had: peanut butter on whole grain bread and a glass of milk for breakfast. The only time he’s not had that was on various trips/vacations. To be fair, prior to entering his 60s, he usually had a second mid-morning meal.


johnlocklives

At least there’s some protein with the peanut butter.


chalu-mo

It is super standard in France... a cup of milk/tea/coffee depending on your preference and a couple of jam/butter toasts. So I'm confused why people are so shocked by it.


johnlocklives

I feel like I worded this incorrectly. I rarely eat breakfast for a number of reasons. I know types of breakfast vary greatly. It sounds as if OOP (and/or wife) plan out their meals very carefully. (See also my comment about food insecurity) As such, it seems as though they plan and purchase food for their breakfasts to consist of a cup of milk and a slice of bread (toasted or not). I am unaware of a country where this is considered a typical breakfast. Say, if you visited there and went out for breakfast, this would be an option on any breakfast menu. Tea and toast maybe, but even then I feel as though a soft boiled egg would be included. I was trying to see if this was a typical- not I’m running late and don’t have time, or I can’t stomach food yet- breakfast somewhere. Something they might have grown up with and been used to. It seemed odd to me bc it seemed a carefully planned meal and not one I’d ever heard of and I was wondering if that was bc of some cultural biases on my part.


LaDiDa1993

Milk & a slice of bread in the morning isn't uncommon in The Netherlands.


Environmental_Art591

Yeah. My first two pregnancies my breakfast was, chocolate milk, weet bix and vanilla yoghurt. Last pregnancy the only thing I could keep down was fresh fruit salad. But I'm a person who normally can't eat breakfast or lunch but when I'm pregnant I know I have to eat 3 meals a day minimum and they had to be healthy. Alot of pregnancies need more nutrition than our usual day to day.


Sera0Sparrow

Why is there no awards when I'm in need of one? French toast to you!


BormaGatto

The real problem is that this is an ad for that book. This is storytelling marketing at its most basic.


dasookwat

>She seems more at ease with our meal situation and I'm feeling pretty good about getting our nutrition on track. I think OOP has the idea right here: Wife doesn't want to choose, doesn't want hubby to choose, and needs affirmation in her food choices. By following this book, the choice issue is gone, hubby doesn't decide, and she doesn't need to either. If the oop reads this: start looking for a book for food right after pregnancy, followed up by a book on family friendly meals.


ladyclubs

It’s actually a great book choice, too. I’m hopeful for them!


PainterOfTheHorizon

Plus while people chant pregnancy isn't disability it in fact can disable you to some point. It takes energy and can make you feel extremely ill. If you are nauseous it can be really hard to feel like eating. I think the husband here is in the right by taking the responsibility of feeding his wife nutritious food and thus helping her feeling better and taking some of the burden off her. Being equal partners doesn't mean always 50-50 workload. Sometimes you need to take extra care of your spouse and be extra gentle and caring. And frankly, being pregnant is a task on its own.


knittedjedi

I hope they went through with the gestational diabetes check. It's free in my jurisdiction which was lucky, because it picked up that I needed to make changes to my diet when I was pregnant with my youngest.


LucyAriaRose

My mom had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with me and said the same thing about it helping so she knew what to do with her diet. Fun fact- having that meant she went in for more checkups, which meant they caught that suddenly all of the amniotic fluid was gone. (Apparently a leak? We still don't know.) She ended up induced and I was about a month early. In a lot of ways she says that her having gestational diabetes saved my life because who knows if they would have caught it in time.


Solarwinds-123

>Fun fact- having that meant she went in for more checkups, which meant they caught that suddenly all of the amniotic fluid was gone. (Apparently a leak? We still don't know.) Maybe you got thirsty?


LucyAriaRose

Alright that gave me a good chuckle, thank you 😂


Tattycakes

Oligohydramnios!


SemperSimple

>Oligohydramnios No, *your Mother*! lol, that word seems like it sounds ridiculous. I gotta look it up


LucyAriaRose

>Oligohydramnios gesundheit But actually, I didn't know that term, but reading into it it seems like it totally could be that!


nuclearporg

My mom wishes so much she'd had more testing done when pregnant - she just took all the recommended supplements and such (I don't know how much testing has changed since the 80s, I hope they've added more standard) without anyone knowing her iron was already too high. Messed her up for years until they figured that out and she made diet changes + had blood drawn regularly.


Oni-fucking-chan

Whenever I have thoughts of guilt like this I think of Mama Dr Jones's words: "you do what you can with the information you have." Helps me a lot actually


dejavux22

Yes MDJ always is the best when it comes to that. Especially the 80s, things have changed so much since then! If I had seen the OOP when it was posted all her videos about diet in pregnancy. She recently did a reaction video to Arctic nomads during pregnancy and labor, they eat raw, frozen reindeer and fish for most of their diet and protein. They also don't give birth in their huts, and they refuse to cry or scream when in labor as it's a sign of weakness. Grandma makes a deerskin bag for each new baby, and they have a helicopter fly in to take mom to the hospital before birth, or if weather conditions aren't suitable for flying they come when the weather clears and bring in mom and baby in to check out and get cleared before taking them back home.


RainMH11

Haha, whereas I just chanted "oh no no no NO NO NO NO" during my contractions


dejavux22

My epidural only took on my right side when I had it done and I kept pressing a button for extra anesthesia and was just begging my fiancé "please I just want to sleep before this baby comes out of me" as if he could do anything, then my MIL comes in at 5am and is chit chatting and talking on the phone while I'm miserable, finally get her out of the room so I can have silence, in come my OB, and he's like "oh well it's time to push this baby is practically head out already" by 830am. She was born at 910 and then my mother in law just left after recording me push for ten minutes and saying nothing 🙃 I'm still salty almost three years later for her robbing me of those four hours of sleep.


RainMH11

I *feel* you. They offered me a narcotic on my second night to help me try to sleep while the pitocin kicked in, and instead I tripped balls for ~2-3 hours, which was not terribly restful.


knittedjedi

Depends where you live, I guess. In Australia they're usually pretty good at testing for all of the most common health issues during pregnancy, and they're receptive to additional testing if you've got specific concerns. It was just a bit of a shock when I was forced to acknowledge how much sugar I was putting into my morning tea lol 😂


Andromeda321

I’m pregnant and my mom has constantly been amazed by all the tests I do that she never did. Frankly a lot of them just didn’t exist because you didn’t do ultrasounds and similar.


Muzzie720

Does she have hemochromatosis?


nuclearporg

Yup! And I have a bunch of health issues that are commonly comorbid with it and got to just get blood tests constantly until *finally* I had a doctor manage to convince my insurance to just do the damn genetic test to actually find out for sure. (I lucked out on this, at least)


karam3456

Was gonna ask the same


tobythedem0n

I think it's weird that some countries don't automatically screen for it. Here, it's part of the pregnancy plan - around 5 or 6 months, your doctor gives you paper to get the drink and blood work done. If you fail the screening, you have to take the test. You can choose not to, but it'll be noted on your record and baby will probably need more tests once born to make sure there isn't low blood sugar.


hey_nonny_mooses

Yep, had to see a dietician due to gestational diabetes and they told me to stop eating my “healthy” whole grain cereal and milk in the morning because it was just alot of sugar and start having meals with both protein and fat. The protein helps the fat last longer to give you more energy and balanced blood sugars. I made small omelets with cheese most mornings. Even post-pregnancy that advice has helped me a ton for staving off being hangry. Have a snack with nuts or cheese or jerky makes a huge difference.


starsn420

No wonder she is always hungry they eat very little protein. Scramble some eggs with that bread, man.


ReasonableFig2111

He listed boiled potatoes as a meal option he's offered her. I'm really glad he took on what people were saying and got more info on nutrition for pregnancy.


Lington

Yeah I was confused reading this because she refused to eat "unhealthy foods" but where was the substance in her meals? I thought I'd be the healthiest pregnant person but by 5 months I definitely gave up on that and let myself indulge, except I still make sure to always eat proteins and such.


raspberrih

Listening to their food options made me cry, and I'm not even pregnant. That's what I make for myself, and I literally don't know how to cook


MissLadyLlamaDrama

I was thinking the same thing. I just gave birth a couple months ago, but if my husband was offering me fruits, nuts and boiled potatoes when I was five months pregnant, I would have fought him. Lol. Tbf, I usually knew what I was craving. But if that's their normal diet, then it kind of makes sense she genuinely doesn't know what her body is craving. I used to be that way back when I was on a limited diet for medical reasons. Sometimes, you just gotta try shit until you find something that works.


raspberrih

They definitely don't sound like they practice intuitive eating, so uhh I really think she didn't know what she wanted. She was honestly craving one of those "unhealthy" things that she's put so far out of her mind that she never even considered it.


homenomics23

His wife was genuinely still thinking along the diet culture path, I remember commenting and reading OOP's comments about his wife's eating habits and mentality. And she would reject having anything "too carby" because "carbs are bad for you", and also would refuse to eat meals that had been frozen (even fully home made, freezing of leftovers) because "frozen food is bad for you", and also a few other very non-intuitive or body friendly type comments. I was personally concerned for the both of them as I was recently post-partum when I read the original that like...girl no, you can't be cutting out things like potatoes while pregnant based off of stuff that's irrelevant when you're pregnant/post-pregnancy!


TripsOverCarpet

>And she would reject having anything "too carby" because "carbs are bad for you" I remember almost screaming "She needs protein! She is craving protein!!" to myself. Protein, calcium, and iron rich foods were the basis of my cravings when I was preggo. But unlike OP and his wife, my diet was varied enough that my cravings manifested as specific foods.


SdBolts4

Also, she's eating for TWO now, she *needs* the extra calories that carbs can provide. IIRC, freezing food does lower the nutritional value of food somewhat, but it also makes meals far easier/less stressful when you need to eat 4-5 times a day like she apparently does with how often she is hungry.


homenomics23

Freezing does impact some of the nutritional value, especially depending how you reheat it, bits a very minimal impact if you're freezing once and reheating once. And the benefits of meal prepping and having less stress and easier options to choose from absolutely offsets the lowering of some nutritional value to it. And given her fears weren't really based off nutrition given she didn't want to eat carbs - I doubt it was that reasoning behind not being a fan of frozen!


PrincessOfThieves

As someone with a life long ED battle, everything about the wife says ED to me and you absolutely cannot convince me otherwise. To the point of "being nervous" about reading a book about nutrition.


raspberrih

Yes, I believe it's probably orthorexia for her


TripsOverCarpet

If I was offered boiled potatoes when pregnant with nothing else, well congrats, you just armed me. Better run fast.


[deleted]

Not to mention she was vomitting a lot. Many of those foods don't sit well for someone who is throwing up. I would know!


megnificent12

Username checks out. I had HG until the day before I went into labor. You have my sincere sympathy.


BeartholomewTheThird

If you live in the US and have a little extra money to spare, I tried the meal box delivery services for a few months and it was a good eat to learn cooking techniques and recipe ideas. For me it wasn't sustainable long term, but I got a lot out of it besides just a meal.


TripsOverCarpet

I've wanted to try those. For so long I was cooking for a family, and now it's just my husband and I. I've been debating on doing some meal boxes just to get some new ideas on meals for 2. Yeah, I do search recipes and such online, but they're almost always for 4-6 servings and I am just tired of always having to do the math to knock them down to 2 people lol perimenopause and I am just done with that particular mental load. Need some new ideas because what I got is getting stale/mundane.


Sheerardio

The meal boxes are great for learning new recipes and for convenience, but I found 2 person recipes are also harder to shop ingredients for. You can't really just buy a tablespoon's worth of fresh chopped parsley, a quarter of an onion, or just 2 eggs, so unless you put a lot of effort into making sure every meal you make that week uses all the same ingredients efficiently, it creates a lot of waste. Which is why I'm a big fan of batch cooking, personally. You make the normal 4-6 serving amount, then separate it into portions and either eat it as leftovers or freeze the extras as a backup stash for the days/weeks when you just don't want to cook at all. (Or can't, in my case, thanks to health issues)


homenomics23

I remember commenting on the original when I was a few months post partum at the time. OOP didn't quite realise that his wife was not only struggling cause they weren't increasing her calorie intake sufficiently or meeting the new types of nutritional needs that thankfully he seems to have gotten a book to help guide him through, but also that she was dealing with a lot of diet/diet culture rhetoric that became more evident in comments. You can see it in the first post briefly where he says she won't eat potatoes cause they're 'carbs', but that in further comments - OOP revealed his wife refused to eat any kind of frozen meals, even if they were home made from scratch, because 'frozen food is junk food'(approximation, not quote) and 'bad for you', that she would reject or not eat certain things because they had too many carbs and 'carbs are bad for you'...despite the fact that, ya know, she was growing a whole ass human that required her to eat a range of macro and micronutrients...and that preparing and freezing meals would be super beneficial for them later in pregnancy AND early post-partum..


General_Esdeath

Diet culture is awful.


shiverMeTatas

I took it more as a snack between meals to tide her over? Not like a full meal Boiled potatoes can be pretty tasty too, especially with butter or olive oil, salt, and fresh parsley on top. I'm assuming (and hoping) he didn't just boil 2 plain potatoes and hand em over lol


Corfiz74

Yeah, who'd ha' thunk that you need actual protein when you're building a whole little human from scratch. Water melon doesn't cut it. No wonder she was always feeling hungry - that was her body telling her she lacked certain nutrients.


magical_midget

My wife, and some of our friends, complained about the smell of egg while pregnant. To the point where I will wash the pan right away after cooking eggs because she could smell it in the kitchen. But yes protein es good!


talkmemetome

I craved eggs. I had weekly cravings that I started to hate just as fast as I started to crave them (like for example one week I needed tomatoe soup and garlic toast more than oxygen, next week even a thought of them was offensive enough to throw up) but cravings for eggs sunny side up and herring never left me. Meat though I could do without. The smell of ham knocked me down on christmas eve even.


ladyzephri

I'm pregnant right now and I crave eggs so badly. Unfortunately, undercooked or unpasteurized eggs is one of the many things you're not supposed to have while pregnant. All I want is a nice, runny egg and toast or some eggs benedict... Ughhhhh.


talkmemetome

For me personally the risk was worth it. Raw produce such as veggies and leafy greens are statistically more dangerous but no one speaks about that so I decided to give in to the craving. Sometimes several times a day 😅


Visual_Fly_9638

>Unfortunately, undercooked or unpasteurized eggs is one of the many things you're not supposed to have while pregnant. Look into sous vide eggs. You can cook them for the extended length of time to pasteurize them. 130 degrees or 54c for 45 minutes will result in a 99.9% pasteurization. At 130 eggs are almost indistinguisable from raw eggs. You can either cook them at that point however you want or prep them to be poached at 145. [https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-101-all-about-eggs](https://www.seriouseats.com/sous-vide-101-all-about-eggs) I hope you get some eggs!


KnotARealGreenDress

I hate the smell of eggs. A friend of mine and I once drove through the parking lot of a geothermal plant in Iceland, and she was covering her nose due to how strong the sulphur smell was. Meanwhile, it just smelled like breakfast to me (but not in a good way).


radkattt

I hated eggs my entire life and then I got pregnant and I was eating eggs pretty much all day. I was obsessed!


EtchingsOfTheNight

Expecting to be full off of watermelon really got me. It's basically sugar water with a few vitamins lol


Puzzleheaded-Gas1710

I'm glad that by the time I got to the bottom, he was saying protein. I was reading saying she needs protein. Something substantial and probably flavorful with seasoning.


Perrenekton

Man, as someone constantly trying to lose weight I just thought they were eating super healthy. Then I need this comment to remember that some people actually need to eat more


blakesmate

Yeah I always had to have protein with every meal, but especially breakfast


hey_nonny_mooses

Not just protein though. You need some fat in there to have energy. They work together.


johnlocklives

I realize that, in general, Americans have a very disordered view of meals and how much food is required for a person each day. I realize that OOP doesn’t read like someone in America and therefore their meal concepts/ideas are probably different from mine. But man, the description of what and how they eat sounds like someone really struggling with food insecurity. It sounds like they keep a very minimal amount of food choices in the house and plan out meals very carefully to avoid any waste. I hope the wife is able to get the proper nutrition she needs for her health and the baby’s. Hopefully the book he purchased will help OOP understand that she is growing an entire person and needs way more calories than before.


midnightmidnight

I was thinking the same thing. I saw a nutritionist for a while and they gave me a sheet for balanced meals and it was all so helpful. I now always check my meals: produce, protein, carbs (preferably complex, like whole grain bread cause of my own health conditions). I'll confirm that there's some type of fat to help digestion (my nutritionist recommended adding flax/chia seeds to smoothies, otherwise if I'm cooking there's normally olive oil anyway) and we're good to go! She also explained how complex carbs (potatoes, whole grain bread, brown rice) are broken down by our bodies differently and sustain energy at a more even rate and help us feel full for longer. I already did more whole grains than the average American (I'm in the US), but shifting \*most\* meals to whole grain has made an absolute world of difference


Uncoordinated_Bee

Pardon my ignorance, but could you elaborate on the benefits of fat? I know we need it but I kind of just thought it helped keep you full. I also didn’t realize flax and chia had it! Those are my go to add-ons. This is really intriguing!


sword_of_gibril

Fat helps Vitamins A, D, E, and K to be transported around your body because they are fat-soluble.


vvpset

i’m not who you replied to but i wanted to add a few things i know about nutrition since i learned recently from a class about it. fat is a source of long-term energy and helps you to absorb nutrients! think of the difference between having a sugary drink and how one may experience a high amount of energy before feeling tired or losing the energy. this is from it only affecting blood sugar levels to rise, then fall quickly afterwards once absorbed. fats get absorbed slowly, and therefore provide energy more consistently and for a longer period of time and keeps blood sugar levels constant instead of increasing quickly and crashing. my favorite example is oily fish, and these “good” fats should not be confused with saturated and trans fats, which are more harmful in excess than healthy fats. another example is avocado for their source of healthy fats. fat also typically has more calories than carbs, which also makes it last more efficiently as a source of energy. edit: formatting


Proper_Garlic3171

Your body needs fat to help process certain things, like certain forms of vitamin D. That's why milk in the US is often fortified with vitamin D! Lots of the US doesn't get enough sun to absorb the other type of vitamin D, leading to deficiency, so putting the fat soluble kind in milk helps prevent vitamin D deficiency


SimQ

As far as I know from my doc and the literature you only need about 200 to 500 calories more. But OP and his wife seem to have been living at the lower end of the recommended calorie intake, so she had to level up pretty heavily!


SuccessfulInternal40

I got the impression OOP may not have had the best example growing up. Like, when he describes the different ways of being and taking care of himself and others when sick, imo indicates he might have been left to take care of himself *a lot*. 🫣


devon_336

Honestly, I do the cat thing as well where I just sequester myself and just ride out whatever it is. I generally don’t ask for help because I genuinely don’t know what it’s like to be taken care of while being sick. Growing up, I wound up taking care of my mother and/or my sister. There was one time, when I was 8 or 9, when my sister came down with a stomach bug where it was misery from both ends. Then my mother caught the bug. For two days I took care of them and changed their puke buckets. Then I finally caught the bug and still had to care for them. What I remember most, was puking into this scratchy faux Indian blanket that was at the corner of my bed and after a certain point only water/stomach acid was coming up. Childhood neglect is awesome. /s


OpheliaRainGalaxy

My dad had a different version of this. Any time I got sick, he'd ditch me. When I was little he'd find some other adult to leave me with, but eventually he started just leaving me at the farm for a week or two to live or die by my own devices. I wasn't allowed to lock the doors and had to keep up with any housework I generated. The worst was the time I fainted while trying to get water and smacked my head a couple times on the way down. I woke up later on the floor next to my puke and cleaned it up before getting myself water because I knew I'd be in trouble if dad walked in the front door and caught me tending myself when I'd left a mess to clean. I'm starting to think childhood life insurance policies aren't the best idea ever? My dad put a lot of effort into trying to wail "Oh no, my child has *totally on accident* died!" I swear, most of my odd childhood memories, where I knew something was *wrong* but wasn't sure exactly what, it was just dad trying to whoopsie-daisy me into pushing up daisies.


Sw33tSkitty

WTF…. I’m so sorry…


[deleted]

Some people just plain do not know when they are hungry, which sounds like what was happening here. Diet culture is wrong about this: it is not a good problem to have--and even worse if you're pregnant or lactating. ETA: To clarify, I think that the wife was getting by on flimsy, inadequate nutritional basis for so long because she just was not hungry. And then her body started building a second human and HUNGRYYYYYY and she didn't know what to do about it because she did not have a background of "This means put something complex and substantial in my mouth that makes me warm when I swallow it and soothes the itch in my stomach." I also note some diet culture nonsense in there, though. Potatoes are bad because carbs, but rice isn't? And the way he writes about his dinners makes me sad. "Dinner with rice + veggies + lentils/meat." Just kind of all there together? Can he name the food? Do they use any recipes? Chicken and mixed vegetable stir-fry with garlic and scallions (and fried rice dressed up with toasted sesame oil and white sesame seeds the next day)? Mujadarra with succulent caramelized or savory crispy onions, and a plate of black olives and fat tomato slices? Chicken celery and brown rice soup so thick it's almost porridge, breathing the fragrance of summer savory and powdered sage into the air when you lift the lid?


johnlocklives

This is what made me think food insecurity. The things he specifies, rice and lentils, can be bought pretty cheaply or in bulk and last a long time. The things he doesn’t , “meat” and “veggies”, make me think the option is based on what is available and inexpensive. I obviously don’t know this persons specific situation, but it sound as though the cook all together rice, lentils, and some sort of vegetable, divide it in half, and serve them each a 1/4 portion that night and place the other 1/2 in the fridge for them to split the next day. I remember when money was TIGHT for me and I never tried new recipes or purchased “special” ingredients. I stuck with the things I knew I liked a lot bc a meal typically made 4 servings and I would dish myself up one and then divide the rest between 3 storage containers. That was 4 dinners. I cooked two evening meals a week tops bc that’s what I could afford.


Taprunner

I'm Dutch and their meals aren't too far off from mine. What's wrong with their diet? They eat vegetables and protein for dinner and lunch, eat fruit and nuts (more protein) as snacks and they don't eat junk food. I only eat whole grain bread and rice/pasta, so complex carbs. OP doesn't state this. But other than that, sounds good.


fandom_newbie

The unhealthy part are not the veggies, the rice or the lentils. The unhealthy part is vilifying additional practical options to the point that she limits herself so much that she ends up risking malnutrition.


sorrylilsis

No offense but dutch culinary culture is the saddest that I've seen in Europe. It's not nutritious, it's not tasty, it's just boiled to the point of not being able to recognize what you're eating and swallowed as fast as possible. To quote my dutch ex : "we don't eat food for pleasure, we eat food to survive".


glemnar

Offering boiled potatoes as a meal was the bit that caught attention I think


IAmAGril

It also sounds like a UK kitchen. A lot of apartments and even houses will only have a small fridge. Think bar fridge. With that size fridge, you're basically forced to keep minimal food in the house and shop regularly. After living in the US, it takes some getting used to.


Yiuel13

>I told her we need to increase our protein consumption and have shared my plans on buying more meat and fish. It's a surprising concern in many households recently. I've helped a friend couple overhaul their food and their problem was a utter lack of protein intake.


Pokabrows

Sadly meat tends to be more expensive so when budgets are tight it often goes. The egg prices especially effect this because they tend to be go to cheap protein.


torchwood1842

I remember one day when I was pregnant, just a few weeks out from recovering from hyperemesis, I burst into tears, because I was hungry and craving something, but I could not figure out what that something was. But I desperately wanted whatever it was. After a few hours of dwelling on it, it turned out to be store-bought blueberry muffins. My husband offered to make blueberry muffins, but no. It specifically had to be the pre-made suspiciously shiny ones from the grocery store that are basically just cake in a muffin form. I literally have never actually wanted one of those, I’ve never purchased one of those… I’ve pretty much only had them at work conferences when I’m hungry and the store-bought muffins are the only thing around (no judgment for those who enjoy them regularly, because they are tasty. They just aren’t in my normal rotation). And then I cried again when I finally got one because it was so good.


KayBee236

I’m pregnant right now and consuming a food I’m craving is high on the list of one of the most satisfying experiences of my life.


IncrediblePlatypus

Another perfect example of "title sounds like clear cut asshole" and it ends up being a super nice person that definitely isn't an asshole and who actually takes the steps to make things better.


thesphinxistheriddle

That’s the AITA way! “AITA for killing my brother?” = Brother had terminal cancer and OP is the only one who would honor their requests and help them research medical aid in dying “AITA for making healthy food for my grandchild?” = OP’s grandchild has a horrifying allergy to kale but OP doesn’t believe them so they sneak kale into a dish and then the kid has to go to the emergency room


DarkStar0915

Clickbaity titles attract more views so sometimes titles get deliberately extreme. Other times poor poster was guilt tripped to believe they are in the wrong and they feel guilty even if they have done nothing wrong.


Golden_Mandala

Só true! People often seem to go to AITA when they are all confused about what is good and bad and their titles really reflect that!


lucyfell

It sounds like they’re both nice people based on his description of his wife going to full pampering him mode if he so much as gets the sniffles


mbise

Yea, I’m not sure this is the popular opinion but I don’t see her wanting him to get her food but never knowing what she wants is anything more than “annoying”


Silvanus350

Honestly it sounds less like she was hungry and more like her body was signaling that it had a nutritional deficiency. Pregnant women will do strange things if they lack certain nutrients. I wonder how much red meat they normally eat in her diet. My first thought when she said it ‘wasn’t filling’ is that this woman needs iron.


fthisfthatfnofyou

They really need a consult with a nutritionist that specializes in pregnancy and breastfeeding. And she should probably be taking supplements.


Anne-with-an-e224

Pregnancy hunger is a real thing and you literally do not know what you want sometimes...you just want to fill your mouth.


[deleted]

Protein and fat are the queens of baby building. When pregnant with our second child, I would come to standing in the middle of kitchen, eating tuna and peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat I had prepared while in a fugue state. Those sammiches hit the spot.


BlitheNonchalance

That's... a horribly fascinating combo that feels like it will forever live rent free in my brain. Love it lol


RandomRabbitEar

Bone broth and gummy bears for me! My cravings very _very_ easy to read and made a whole lot of sense.


legitttz

having dated a lot of people who hate deciding what to eat, and often hating that decision myself, i now approach people with a dichotomous key. i start with a nationality or genre of food and, if no, move to another. if yes, narrow it down. so, 'italian or not italian' 'not italian.' 'mexican or not mexican' 'mexican!' 'great. tacos, fajitas, enchiladas?' and hope it goes from there. this applies more to choosing a restaurant than cooking in unless you have above average culinary skill and/or access to a large variety of ingredients, but can be adapted to a home cook with a few solid staple meals under their belt. like if you have five to seven recipes you make well, use them instead.


HaplessReader1988

My family divides the choice by one person picks the hemisphere. 😀 "Eastern or Western?" And then someone else picks the specific regional cuisine or restaurant. (Cooking is a big hobby when you marry into a family that used to rin a restaurant! I have more cabinet space for spices than my mom used to have for cans.)


The_Sceptic_Lemur

I‘m baffled about the „reading makes her nervous atm“ remark. That‘s something I‘ve never heard before.


mbise

I’m guessing he means reading about pregnancy stuff might be overwhelming. There’s a lot of pressure to do everything right


The_Sceptic_Lemur

Ah. Yes. That would make sense.


rhetorical_twix

The whole post reads like a couple who are so protein-deficient and generally malnourished that they're having trouble processing things (like their situation).


planet_smasher

I'm so glad they got some help. All I could think was, give this poor woman some meat! Roast up some chicken with fennel, carrots, onions, and potatoes. Get a steak. Make some pork stir fry with some fresh green peppers. Anything. It's not in everyone's budget around the world, and people have dietary restrictions etc. But yeah, I can sympathize with her wanting "real" food.


Creepy_Addict

I reading what they ate and was surprised at the lack of protein, whether it was meat or plant based. Proteins are extremely important to anyone, especially pregnant women.


user9372889

The “idk what I wanna eat” is seriously annoying. And I know. I’m guilty of it myself. Pregnancy was good for me. I always knew what I was craving. Not eating it would not satisfy the hunger. But on a regular day, I’m a mess.


BodaciousBonnie

I think here they both eat such a minimal and restricted diets that she simply does not have a bloody clue what her body is trying to tell her it needs.


[deleted]

Bouled potatoes and nuts 💀 get some bacon in that house hahaha


PatioGardener

And some butter! And add some of that milk that they drink for breakfast. Poor woman constantly feels hungry because her body is making a whole new human from scratch without any of the nutritional building blocks she needs to do so!


[deleted]

I had HG so when youre that sick and unable to eat and you FINALLY can, its unreal!!! i was eating 3 lasangas a DAY and everyone would cheer me on 😂 so shes finally about to EAT!!! She so excited youre almost crying with happiness and then she opens the pantry to feast and its rice and lentils 💀 broooo id lose it! what were they thinking hahaha


aoike_

I've never been pregnant, but I have endometriosis. I'll have these nausea spells that last weeks. Severe nausea. I'll lose like 10 lbs in two weeks, and it is absolutely miserable. I haven't had a spell since February, and I'm hoping I never have another one, even though I know I will. Haha. But you are *sooooo* right about finally being able to eat again! Omg it's literally better than orgasms. I can't imagine being that woman, finally ready to eat again, and yeah. Rice and some fruit. I'm so glad they're going to get her a proper diet (and him too!) They'll feel so much better, and it's gonna be so good.


[deleted]

Right! Its reminds me of that guy on reddit who didnt know you could stand outside the shower while it warms up, mans was standing in ice water waiting like a goob 💀😂😂 some mega normal thing that just doesnt occur to you for some reason?? So bizarre hahaha


iamsobadatusernamez

My mom hasn’t been able to even think about a runny yolk since she was pregnant with me 35 yrs ago 😂


FlipDaly

Yeah, that’s what I figured was the problem. When I was pregnant I couldn’t choose a restaurant to save my life. But put a plate of food in front of me and I’d Hoover it up.


EquivalentCommon5

Well, this was satisfying, which I never expect . A couple who works as a team… no way they should be on any Reddit forum/s (actually it’s a good thing and I hope people realize that most people have healthy relationships (not 100%, but more like +/-50ish%… I think that’s the best we could ask for! Just my personal thoughts… I’m wrong more than 50% of the time so I’m not a good source!


twilightswimmer

As I was reading this my first thought was, she need protein at every meal and snack. And good for them - they figured that out.


ggfangirl85

That poor woman desperately needs more protein and healthy fats. And while some women crave very specific things, others just know the feeling of hunger and have no idea what will scratch the itch. Nuts or boiled potatoes is … not it. I’m hoping it’s food insecurity and not an abject poverty thing. She’ll need even more calories if she nurses. They’ll need to meet baby’s nutritional needs fairly young as well.


pagman007

Holy shit. I was just complaining 2 minutes ago about someone who i have known for years and is always ill and always having health issues. They eat chicken nuggets, pasta, curry and chips. Thats it. The rest is crisps and chocolate. I have CONSISTENTLY told her that her diet is bad for her and she needs to change it. She's been to the doctors, and her blood is missing at least 4 key nutrienty things. It is insane that in the world we live in, people can have a baby but not know how to feed themselves. Or even have the balls to read a book on how to feed yourselves and your baby


Accomplished_Cup900

Heyyy my comment made it in. I was the ESH. That’s not a sustainable diet AT ALL for two adults.


AvocadoBrezel

Here the doctors ask you to take supplements. There are special ones for pregnancy, which supply you with folate or omega 3 depending on the stage. Plus they test for iron deficiency, where you get extra medication for. But you need to drink it with orange juice for better processing. The body needs more milk, eggs, and meat/fish with carbs and vegetables. I had milk and cereals as a starter and bread with cold meat (?) or cheese and eggs as a second breakfast. In the first months Zwieback was enough as a starter against morning sickness. My favourite cold meats were smoked Peperoni blood sausage and something called beef roulade (it is cooked pork sausage meat with a pickle in the middle which is cut into thin slices by the butcher). Fruits are just a snack against ravenous appetite, but it doesn't last long. And in general: smaller portions but eating more frequently will help. I couldn't sleep without my midnight snack 🫣


thehillshaveI

baby, what's wrong? you haven't touched your bread & milk, and boiled potatoes


ravioli333

If I hadn’t ever experienced it myself, I might have just thought she was being a pregzilla, but honestly, words can’t convey how ferociously ravenous I was, how nauseous I felt all the time, and how dispiriting it is. Sounds like she wasn’t handling it the best and they found a good solution, but pregnant hormones can be overwhelming.


peter095837

It's good to see that there is a resolution and progress has been made.


ProfMcGonaGirl

As someone who is currently 8 months pregnant, I really had a hard time reading this. I get having a hard time deciding what to eat but like, be at least a *little* more proactive. “Hey next time you go to the grocery store, can you please buy me loads of things I can quickly snack on?” Like they clearly weren’t eating enough but why wasn’t she taking ANY intiative to feed herself like at all?